Congress Accuses BJP of Misleading Nation Over Rafale Deal

Congress will move a privilege motion against PM Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Rafale deal.

Former defence minister AK Antony with Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Randeep Surjewala at a press conference regarding the Rafale deal.

(Photo: PTI)

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Video Producer: Srishti Tyagi

The Congress will move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha over the Rafale deal, the party said in a press conference on 23 July.

“There is no transfer of technology in this new deal, so it doesn't substantiate the rise in price of aircrafts,” Congress leader AK Anthony said, in the party’s attack on the BJP over the Rafale deal.

The Congress also issued a detailed press release, outlining the points that it hoped to highlight, from the pricing of the aircrafts, to the fact that the party could, in fact reveal details of the deal.

Continuing the attack on the BJP government, the Congress stated that the government was bound by law to reveal details of the deal to the public, adding that the defence minister had agreed to reveal the details of the deal, in Parliament, earlier.

The cost of the deals are scrutinised by the CAG and Public Accounts Committee. This happens on many levels. The government was aware of this fact. It also knew that there was no secrecy clause with France that prohibited them from revealing the cost of buying the jets.

AK Antony, Former Defence Minister

The BJP countered the Congress by saying the Rafale deal was made in the name of national interest and transparency. “Rahul Gandhi is trying to make baseless allegations. There is an attempt to mislead the whole nation. Whatever deal the Indian government has made is in the interest of transparency and national interest,” said Union Minister Anant Kumar.

During the debate on the no-confidence motion, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had claimed that there was no secrecy clause between the Indian and French governments regarding the Rafale deal and added that the Prime Minister and Defence Minister were misleading the nation.